No stockings, no gifts, no tinsel, and no tree - has Christmas been cancelled? It's mid-December and for the fifth year in a row, there is little sign of the festive season in the Sullivan family's household in Harlem. But this year, a mysterious someone is sending gifts to widower Henry Sullivan and his two children, Will and Ella. First, a small-beaked and feathered face pokes its head out from between the branches of a pear tree. Before they know it, the Sullivan's home is quickly full of boisterous animals and house guests, all demanding their attention. The next twelve days turns the Sullivan family's lives upside down in ways they never could have imagined. And even though this Christmas will be messy, it may be just the gift their family needs.
